Joint statement from the Concordia Student Union and the Students’ Society of McGill University
In response to the announcements made by the Quebec’s French Language Minister and Higher Education Minister on Friday October 13th, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) and Students’ Society of McGill (SSMU) strongly denounce the CAQ’s plan to almost double the tuition fees of international and out-of-province students in Quebec. This plan would exclude students from quality education by interfering with their right to pursue education in their preferred language, without facing further financial marginalization and cultural discrimination.
This policy is the latest in Quebec’s long history of attempts to divest from post-secondary education. It is a decision that was made without consultation with the three major Quebec English-speaking universities, their student unions, or affected students. Pascale Déry, the Minister of Higher Education, and Jean-François Roberge, the Minister of the French Language, have announced a tuition fee increase for out-of-province students from $8,992 to $17,000 that will be applied to undergraduate and master’s students starting their studies in September 2024. While Déry claims that this is not a measure against anglophones in Quebec, it will mainly impact English-speaking universities such as Concordia, McGill, and Bishop’s. Measures like these exacerbate the already present disparity between people in the province and will only cause further harm and alienation.
The CSU and the SSMU oppose the increase of tuition, as our organizations advocate for universally accessible post-secondary education as a human right, which is being directly hindered by CAQ’s current plans. In increasing the current cost of tuition, students are placed in an undesirable financial situation. This fee increase of $8,992 to $17,000 will price out the poorest out-of-province students, saddle students with further debts, and require students to work even more during their studies to afford their education. All of which help turn post-secondary education into a luxury item, exacerbate issues of elitism within academia, and limit how much students can benefit from their education.
Whether students are international, out-of-province, or from the province of Quebec, access to education and agency in choosing one’s academic trajectory remains a universal and fundamental right that we call upon the Quebec Government to acknowledge. We ask that the province consider the obstacles that this will cause for access to education and the unnecessary financial strains on those who wish to study in our universities. The CSU and SSMU strongly condemn this tuition hike as undemocratic and discriminatory. We demand that the province enact policies that respect post-secondary education as a human right, eliminate all financial barriers to post-secondary education, and engage in the consensual increase of student fees in negotiation with student unions.
To create space for student voices and organizing around this issue, two events are proposed:
- SSMU will host a Town Hall for its members on Wednesday, October 25th 6-8 PM in Room 150 of the Arts Building (853 Sherbrooke Street West);
- CSU will host a Town Hall for its members on Thursday, October 26th at 11-1 pm in the Hall Building, 7th floor lounge.
Signed,
The Executive Committees of the Concordia Student Union and the Students’ Society of McGill University
